A Milestone and New Machines

In February, Kinze Manufacturing opened its new Kinze Innovation Center near the company’s manufacturing campus in Iowa, featuring major agricultural inventions by founder Jon Kinzenbaw and Kinze engineers.

Mounted on the wall at the Kinze Innovation Center is the following quote from founder Jon Kinzenbaw, "When in doubt, build it stout." This is true for the many innovations on display in the newly opened Kinze Innovation Center as well as for the new 4900 Series planters.

After more than a year of in-depth market research, Kinze unveils the new 4900 Series planter, 4000 Series row unit and 4000 Series vacuum seed meter with option for electric drive.

New planter offering. With a new narrow transport front-fold frame design, the 4900 series planter is only available in 30" row spacing but in a choice of 12, 16, or 24 rows. The new planter frame has 42­­­° of wing flex (21° up or down) and has a streamlined look with a raceway for wiring and group hose routing. The toolbar has been raised higher for in-field clearance and improved residue flow.

With the popularity and promise of the Kinze hydraulic weight transfer system, all models in the 4900 series will be outfitted with the system.

A brand-new, patent-pending option is the flip-axle, which is available on the 24-row models to reduce hitch weight and increase maneuverability. The flip axle hydraulically swings forward for transport, reducing the hitch to axle distance by nearly 5'. All 4900 models feature ISOBUS compatible electronics.

The 4000 Series row unit has a cast iron design with vertical travel of 12". Options include spring or hydraulic down pressure; 3-bu. high capacity, 1.8-bu. conventional or 0.18-bu. mini seed hoppers; closing wheel choices; and a new front-mounted liquid fertilizer attachment.

The 4000 Series vacuum meter has seed discs for planting corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, sugar beets and sunflowers. Kinze claims more than 99% accuracy at speeds of 2 mph to 8 mph. The 4000 Series vacuums are available in electric, hydraulic or contact drive. For electric drive, a hydraulically powered generator is mounted between the seed tanks for electric generation. High torque 24-volt motors offer seeding rate control by row.

Orders for the Kinze 4900 Series planters start in May 2013 for the 2014 planting season.

At its manufacturing campus along I-80, Kinze is known for its attention-grabbing displays. In February, the company opened its Kinze Innovation Center, showcasing major agricultural inventions by founder and president Jon Kinzenbaw and Kinze engineers. The center is open to the public Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No reservations are required, but large groups are asked to call ahead.